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AFA Arcade: Spider-Man 2, Midnight Sons, Tomb Raider and More

September 24, 2021 , , , , , , , , ,

Today, animated films and TV is more popular than ever, but the biggest and most successful part of the animation industry is actually video games. Animation is a big component of almost every game (rare exceptions being text adventures and visual novels) and many games feature excellent storytelling. We cover games every now and again on AFA but we're planning on levelling up our games coverage with our new feature AFA Arcade. This regular column will bring you news from where the gaming and animation worlds meet as well as the gaming industry as a whole. Don't expect updates on the latest hardware or the newest Call of Duty or Madden- we aim to highlight the standout work being done in the games industry, whether it's a triple-A game or something from the smallest indie developer. 


Sega will release the Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba videogame The Hinokami Chronicles developed by CyberConnect2 (developer of the Naruto Ultimate Ninja games) in Europe and North America on October 13.  The fighting game has a story mode based on the first TV series and the Mugen Train movie, as well as multiplayer versus mode featuring 18 characters. The game will be released on all current PlayStation and Xbox consoles and Windows PC.





Get your retro groove on: The Sonic The Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony is now available via Apple Music and iTunes, and features classic tunes from the games performed by a full orchestra. Releases on other platforms (and on physical) are not confirmed but will hopefully follow.



Newly Announced for PS4: SpongeBob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake. Coming from THQ Nordic, the game will put players in the SquarePants of SpongeBob himself as they try to rescue his friends from Bikini Bottom.

SpongeBob is just one of many characters who are set to star in Nickelodeon: All-Star Brawl. Nick's answer to Super Smash Bros will see a battle between a slate of characters from throughout the network's history. As well as SpongeBob, the roster includes Patrick, Sandy, Ren and Stimpy, Catdog, Nigel Throneberry, Invader Zim, Reptar, Powdered Toast Man, The Ninja Turtles, April O'Neil, Helga and Danny Phantom. Expect lots more to be available as unlockables too. The game hits all current PlayStation and Xbox consoles and Nintendo Switch later this year,


It's been revealed you can also play as April O'Neil in the upcoming retro-styled scrolling beat 'em up, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.


If you prefer to get your kicks the retro way, Disney Interactive has you covered. They have announced an autumn PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Steam for an updated Disney Classics Games Collection. They have added both the Super Nintendo and Sega Megadrive/Genesis versions of The Jungle Book as well as the SNES, Megadrive, Gameboy and  Gameboy Advance versions of The Lion King and Aladdin (both western and Japanese versions). It also contains bonus features including art galleries and soundtrack modes as well as the ability to skip to any part of the game.


Hayley Atwell (Marvel's Captain Carter) has been cast as Lara Croft for the upcoming Legendary/Netflix Tomb Raider animated series. The series will take place after the reboot game trilogy, which concluded with  Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.  The series will be written by Tasha Huo, an up-and-comer who is also set to script the upcoming Red Sonja reboot.


Check out the beautifully animated launch trailer for the fantasy action adventure Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, available now only on PlayStation 5.





This animated loop for the new Life Is Strange: True Colours game is a brilliant reference to the now iconic  'Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Beats girl' artwork.


The recent PlayStation Showcase online event revealed lots of new games and details about previously announced titles. Arguably the most exciting of all was Insomniac sequel Spider-Man 2. All we've got a teaser, but it reveals the game will feature both Spider-Men- the Peter Parker OG and the Miles Morales version players control in the spin-off of the same name. It seems likely you'll get to play both, but how this would work remains to be seen. Will you be able to play either for all the game, or will there be Peter missions and Miles missions? What if... you could play co-op missions with a friend? The trailer hints that the Spider-bros will come up against Kraven The Hunter- and that it will also feature the iconic Venom. Is he set to appear as a villain or will he ultimately be an ally- maybe even be a playable character? The bad news? We have to wait until 2023 for this game (which will be a PlayStation 5 Exclusive).


Keeping in the Marvel Universe, check out this enigmatic, cinematic reveal trailer for 2K Games Marvel: Midnight Sons.  There's no gameplay in the trailer, which is set to be a tactical RPG developed by Fireaxis Games (developers of XCOM), and will be released on all current PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam and Epic Stores in March 2022. Comic fans will know that the Midnight Sons are a supernatural superhero team assembled by Dr Strange to fight Lillith and her demonic offspring. The roster has varied across incarnations, but it seems the game will feature at least Strange, Wolverine, Iron Man, Blade, Ghost Rider and Captain Marvel. There will be 13 heroes and antiheroes playable overall, and you can create your own hero,



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